Tim Harper: Welcome to Ottawa. Angry government, aimless opposition

The Conservatives seem unable to figure out what it means to be in a majority, and the NDP, hobbled by a prolonged leadership race, is unable to exploit government weaknesses in its new role as official opposition.

OTTAWA—This fall session of Parliament hit the two-month mark on the weekend, two months of majority government, interim leaders and backlogged legislation speeding through the Commons as if on a conveyor belt.

Canadians have never seen a Parliament quite like this one. But after two months, some of the truisms which have emerged are not pretty.

On the government side, we know this: the Conservatives conjure up images of the dog chasing the car. Just as the dog has no idea what to do if it ever catches the car, the Conservatives seem unsure of what do with a majority after years of chasing it.

They are in eternal campaign mode, unable to step back, take a breath and govern like a majority, not a government which steps into the ring each day as if it could be back at the polls within months.

They demonize opponents and mock their adversaries, their partisan elbows as sharp as ever.

Conservatives have turned their majority venom on the CBC and labour unions and have treated Parliament as a legislative drive-through, invoking time allocation to shut down debate seven times in 26 sitting days.

They have also devolved into ugliness.

In the past two months, Peterborough Conservative Dean Del Mastro publicly questioned the religious commitment of Liberal Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews accused Windsor New Democrat Joe Comartin of a “long and distinguished career of defending criminals,” and National Resources Minister Joe Oliver lashed out at Halifax NDP MP Megan Leslie, saying she needed to read Economics for Dummies.

It wasn’t enough to kill the long gun registry; the Conservatives also felt they had to destroy the data so it could never fall into New Democrats’ hands.

Toews marked the two-month anniversary Friday with an apocalyptic vision of an NDP government that crystallized the Conservatives’ scorched-earth view of their enemies.

“The New Democrats are focused at this point in time on shutting down the Canadian economy. They will not have to worry about border crossings; there will be no jobs here.

“People will not come here for tourism or for economic reasons.

“The New Democrats want to shut down not only the province of Quebec, they want to shut down industry right across Canada.’’

In two months, this is what we have learned about the New Democrats: this is a rookie-laden crew with ineffective leadership missing most of its experienced frontbenchers because they are campaigning in a prolonged leadership race.

They have proved adept at fuming with frustration but have been unable to exploit government weaknesses.

Nycole Turmel works hard, but she appears to have only a tenuous grip on her caucus, has no impact in the Commons and is dragging the party down in the wake of the tragic death of Jack Layton.

The best performer since the House convened in September is the man who was all but written off: interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.

Rae may be a one-man band on the Liberal benches, but his third party has brought more substance to the sporadic Commons debates than the New Democrats.

The only certainty for Canadians is four more weeks of acrimony and sniping before the Christmas break mercifully sends the circus packing.

That may be why one of the hits of the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner Saturday night was the hilarious send-up of “Eve of Destruction,” performed by New Democrat MPs Charlie Angus of Timmins-James Bay and Andrew Cash of Toronto.

They were taking aim at their Conservative tormenters, but it might have been a metaphor for the past two months.

Conservatives should do Parliament, and the country, a favour by extending the winter break — allowing New Democrats to find some leadership — then hit the reset button with some concrete plans for its majority.

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